The Amarillo Civic Center is ready to serve when storms strike, though not in the way you might think.

The National Weather Service and National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration on Thursday recognized the Amarillo Civic Center as a StormReady Supporter whose staff are ready to respond to weather emergencies.

“We’re not a shelter. I want to stress that,” said Chris Post, Amarillo Civic Center operations manager. “We definitely don’t want people coming up here when we’re closed and thinking that they have shelter … the Civic Center is not a shelter.”

But when people do attend events at the civic center, managers are prepared to work with the National Weather Service and the Amarillo/Potter/Randall Office of Emergency Management to receive weather alerts and take action to help ensure the safety of the crowd, he said.

The civic center is the first public building in the region to receive the StormReady distinction, weather service meteorologist Krissy Scotten said. The Pantex Plant was previously named a StormReady Supporter, she said.

In many cases, the program is an effort to make sure county and city governments are prepared for severe weather, Scotten said.

“We heard the civic center had great plans and is very proactive in preparedness,” Scotten said.

The civic center staff had to meet criteria including designating an emergency operations center and placing weather radios throughout the building, a weather service news release said.

Post said the civic center has plans for each possible weather event. For instance, if gale force winds blow, employees will stand at exits and encourage people to stay inside the building, or employees would keep people away from windows during a hailstorm.

In case of a tornado, Post said his staff would shut down events going on in the civic center and direct people to take cover.

“(Planning for severe weather is) all about how to keep it as simple as possible and as direct as possible,” Post said.

The civic center joins more than 2,000 StormReady sites nationwide, the release said.

“I think the public should … be proud and feel a little bit more confident when they’re attending an event at the civic center that there are people behind the scenes that are doing everything they possibly can to keep them safe,” weather service chief meteorologist Jose Garcia Jr. said.